Some People Just Never Learn
by Pffsh
Summary: I wrote this based on a challenge. Read and review. Flames will be used to burn down my house, and con-crit to build a new one. Thank you.


"You ready?" he asked his other two companions. "Yep, ready as ever, Prongs!" came the cheerful chirps of his comrades. "A'ight, let's do this. We've got a friend in need waiting for us," he added determinedly. The three of them were only three-quarters of the infamous group called the Marauders. The fourth one was now probably in the middle of his grotesque transformation into his other form, a wild wolf. He suffered from a medical condition known as lycanthropy. He was bitten by a stray werewolf when he was a child, and, he was one of the lucky few who ever survived a werewolf bite. Unfortunately, there was a side effect. He had become a werewolf too. His friends, The Marauders, were the only ones who tolerated his condition, apart from Dumbledore. They had wanted him to know that they cared, and had illegally become Animagi to accompany him on the nights of full moons, like that night.  
  
Everything went as they had planned. Padfoot gently nudged Wormtail toward the dangerous tree with his paw, as Wormtail once again doubted his decision to become a rat. He was the smallest, so he *had* to do it. He sighed. This just wasn't fair. He scuttled as fast as he can to the little piece of the Whomping Willow's root that was sticking up, and leapt on it. Instantly, the entire tree, with its flailing branches freezed. Prongs nodded approvingly. All of them then sneaked in, through a secret passageway that was blocked by the Whomping Willow, to the place where Moony was kept, away from civilization as to ensure his and everyone else's safety. Through tiny tunnels and winding corridors they prowled, until they reached a small room. It wasn't cramped, nor was it expansive, which was what the Marauders liked about it. Their attention was immediately brought to the beastly creature growling and scratching furiously at the boarded-up windows. Padfoot barked, as if saying, "Hello." Instead of calming down like he usually did, Moony the werewolf pounced at them. Wormtail, being the easily scared one, turned pale and scurried away into a corner to hide. Padfoot pounced on Moony and attempted to neutralise him long enough for him to realise that attacking his friends wouldn't help, but Moony it seemed had the upper hand. He threw Padfoot over, pinning him down, but was held completely by surprise as a stag's hoof flew toward him, knocking him into a wall on the opposite side. Getting increasingly aggravated, he charged at Prongs and bit deep into the stag's back. With a wounded cry, Prongs collapsed to the floor as both Padfoot and Wormtail rushed to his side. Padfoot, also aggravated, knocked Moony unconscious, and together with Wormtail, they turned Prongs back into human form and dragged him back to the hospital wing, luckily, without anyone noticing that they had just come in through the main entrance.  
  
"Now, what have you lads been up to?" Madam Pomfrey asked worriedly. She immediately began working on the wound. "Oh my! Did you two see what bit this poor boy?" she asked, now gasping slightly. "Uhh..." Peter Pettigrew looked down and took interest in shifting his feet. Sirius Black blinked slightly, then after a moment's hesitation, he decided that they had better tell the truth. "He got bitten by a werewolf, Poppy," he told her unhappily, as he caught her glaring at him angrily.  
  
"What were you three doing with Lupin?" Dumbledore asked. "We were just... ah... visiting him," Sirius said, truthfully.  
  
"Since when have you known of his secret?"  
  
"Some time ago," he replied. With a glare from Dumbledore, he said, "Two months ago, actually."  
  
"And you have been 'visiting' him ever since?"  
  
"Yes! We just wanted to keep him company, that's all. We never expected anything like this would happen!"  
  
"Uhh, can I interrupt, sir? It's James' idea to go in the first place," Peter said quickly, and received a sharp nudge in the chest from Sirius.  
  
"Well. This time, I'll let you off the hook," Dumbledore said gravely, "but I must warn you never to attempt it again. Can I trust you with that?"  
  
"I-i-i... of course, sir," Sirius replied, and nudged Peter again. "Y-yes, sir!" he burst.  
  
"Poppy, I want you to do everything you can to try and cure him," Dumbledore told the matron, and then left without another word.  
  
The next day, as Remus was recovering from both his lycanthropic condition and the dull throbbing headache, he turned and saw his leader and trusted friend James Potter lying there on the bed next to him. His eyes widened as he realised what this meant. "Oh no..." he groaned. "I knew this would happen! Why didn't I ever tell them not to go visit me? Why, damn it!" he muttered miserably. Great. Now his best friend was going to suffer like him, because of his own mistake of allowing them to even approach him when he was out of control. He winced as his head seared with a sharp pain. He touched his matted hair and felt a bandage, covering a lump on his head. "Probably given to me by dear old Padfoot after I attacked Prongs," he thought. Slowly and painfully, he pushed himself out of his bed. Just then, Madam Pomfrey rushed toward him. "No, you stay in bed, young man!" she yelled. Not taking her warning into consideration, he walked up to the James Potter.  
  
He grasped James' hand and held it close to him. "Forgive me, Prongs... I didn't know what I was thinking back then. I could've prevented you from going to see me, but I didn't. This is all my fault! Damn it, Prongs, why didn't I ever warn you of how dangerous I am?!" he said in a shaky voice. James opened his eyes slightly and, in a weak voice, said, "Because we wouldn't leave you be in the times you suffered most. We wouldn't be very good friends if we did that, would we?" James smiled weakly. "No... it's my own fault. I got into this mess because I wasn't careful enough. I was ignorant to the fact that you can seriously harm us. But not anymore. I promise you, I wouldn't make the same mistake again," James said, in a final tone. Remus looked miserably at him again. "So this was it, huh? Another friend, lost. I knew it! I'm not worthy to be their friend!" he thought, as he clambered back into his bed.  
  
As soon as James was discharged from the Hospital Wing, Lupin went to him and apologised again. "So this is it, isn't it? You're going to tell me that I'm not a good friend, that I'm a monster, that you don't need people like me in your life anymore, isn't it?" Lupin asked, unhappily.  
  
"What?! Of course not!"  
  
"Oh, so you've decided that you're going to stay friendly with me after all, 'cause you're also a werewolf now, aren't you?" Lupin asked, even more miserably.  
  
"No! They cured me!" James said cheerfully. "I'll be your friend as long as I live! There's nothing that can bring our friendship apart!"  
  
"Really? Thanks! But please, I tell you now that I am a monster. Please, please, please, if you value your own life, don't risk it on a lousy friend like me."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I don't value my life, 'Moonster'," James joked.  
  
On the next full moon, the gang returned to their monthly night prowl with Moony the werewolf. "Some people never learn." said a faint voice somewhere in the midst of his mind. 


End file.
